Chase Burns makes his final home start of the year on Friday night in Great American Ball Park as the Cincinnati Reds open a weekend series against their NL Central rivals from Chicago.
While the Reds have made it mathematically certain that they a) can’t make the playoffs and b) can’t win more games in the 2026 season than they’ll lose, the Cubs roll into GABP at 85-68 and atop the National League Wild Card standings (alongside the Philadelphia Phillies). They do sit just a lone game above the surging
San Diego Padres in that race, however, and have not even clinched a postseason bid given tha tthe pesky Arizona Diamondbacks remain just 4 games back at 80-73.
So, the Reds do have the ability to play potential spoiler this weekend if they can just find the time.
Burns will throw the game’s first pitch at 6:40 PM ET, and he’ll share the mound to start with Chicago starter Clay Holmes. Brandon Williamson typically piggybacks Burns now that the latter is on a pitch count, but with Williamson needed earlier this week in mop-up duty manager Terry Francona will need to alter his plans slightly.
Here’s how the Reds will line up to start:
